The Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative Education Fund, Inc. today, launched a statewide campaign to get 2,000 organizations to sign a Declaration of Health Care Independence by December 31, 2000. The Declaration, which was unveiled at a press conference at the

Episcopal Diocesan Center in Baltimore, calls for comprehensive quality health care for all Marylanders. Today’s kick-off was attended by prominent community, religious, labor and medical organizations, representing thousands of Marylanders from across the state.

Maryland is the first State to launch a grassroots movement for universal health coverage since the failed Clinton Health Plan. This system, Health Care For All, would be administered by and financed through an independent agency governed by health professionals and consumers, and will guarantee the following for all Marylanders:

Providers who practice according to professional standards, without undue interference from third party decision-makers.

"The people of Maryland demand affordable, quality health care for all," said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Baltimore City Health Commissioner and President of the Initiative. "They know that tinkering with the current system won’t accomplish this. By signing the Declaration of Health Care Independence, these grassroots organizations have committed themselves to making this goal a reality in our State. Because of this broad community support, we believe that universal health care will be one of the top issues in the 2002 state elections."

Among the original signers of the Declaration were Visions
for Health, the Shepherd's Clinic, the Professional Staff Nurses Association
of Maryland, the North Baltimore Mennonite Church, the Mid-Atlantic Association
of Community Health Centers, Maryland Public Interest Research Group (MaryPIRG),
Maryland Public Health Association, Maryland Patient Advocacy Group, Local 1199E-DC
of the Service Employees International Union, the Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance, Health Care for the Homeless, the Gray Panthers, the Episcopal Diocese
of Maryland, el Centro de la Communidad, the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council,
the Center for Poverty Solutions, the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the
United Methodist Church, and the Baltimore City Health Department.